Address proof of young dependent major in rental residence

I knock your door after knocking few other relevant ones, and having faced disappointment and silence.

It's a specific problem, involving a young person, my daughter. Not only extant rules are unable solve it but are hindering a solution. I'm very sorry to say that so far we have been thrown rules at us by some of the authorities that I have written to, but not a solution.

Moreover, I believe this problem is endemic to a lot of present generation urban young people, whose parents live in a series of rented places in big cities, and thus it is extremely important to solve this problem.

Now, I would state the specific problem that my daughter faces and the series of events.

Just around the time she turned 18 (September 2016) and went to USA for college, we changed residence from one rented place to another rented one within Mumbai.

After that, we embarked on changing our addresses at relevant places.

First, for me and my wife:

First, we realised that the banks are taking divergent views about this.

One bank, a large Indian private bank, accepted the registered leave license agreement (which is the most definitive and first document for this kind of change of address) and effected a change in the communication address.

However, another bank, a large foreign bank, has so far refused to accept that. Their interpretation of RBI guidelines, ref. OVD, KYC and Identity proof, is rather narrow and confused and thus I am forced to withdraw my relationship with them.

Aadhar/ UID authorities accepted the registered leave license agreement and thus the change of address for us was finally achieved.

Now, for my daughter who has just now arrived from USA for her summer vacation; and this where it becomes bizarre and almost tragic:

Aadhar authorities said that as the leave and license agreement is in the parents’ name and my 18 year old fully dependent student daughter, being a major, they cannot accept her birth certificate and the agreement in conjunction, and thus they cannot do an address change.

However, they said that they will accept a bank letter.

We went to the bank, the same private bank which accepted our agreement. My daughter has an account there, where her status has changed to a major since September 2016.

Now, the bank said the same thing – the agreement is in parents’ name, daughter is major, birth certificate (along with the agreement) will not work. Thus no change of address.

I checked with RTO or passport website/ agent – everybody is asking for some other authority’s document for effecting a change of address.

So, in this circular inferno, for a dependent young major, I found no way to change the address for my daughter. We did not know where to START.

- So, I reached out to the following authorities, stating the specificity and uniqueness of the problem:

UIDAI

Hon. Minister of External Affairs

Passport Department

- UIDAI, has been sending me automated stock messages about how to change address, without caring to know and understand the specific issue.- After 10 days, I have not heard at all from the MEA or Passport Chief. The former is very uncharacteristic as the minister has been so responsive and caring about solving high profile problems of people stuck in other land.- I have had a few exchange of mails with RBI, who started with stock answers, but then finally wrote the following:

Sir,As an intending customer, KYC documents as prescribed have to be submitted including valid ID and Address proof. In case of local temporary address for communication, the bank has to maintain a record of sending their letter (regd/courier etc) to the same for confirmation of the local address. In that case, proof of permanent address should have been submitted and there is no need to produce any documentary evidence for local address.This Dept has no further comments.

I forwarded the above message to my daughter’s (and ours too) bank but they are not sure if they can make the change in the communication address for my daughter on the basis of this above clarification from RBI

Ironically, RBI and banks allow people to open bank accounts without a present address proof as long as a proof is given for a “permanent address” in another location.

Now, this, “permanent address” is another anachronistic and nebulous term in our lives.

Firstly, I have not found one clear law which provides a singular definition of “permanent address”. In absence of that, a dictionary meaning has to be depended upon.

Permanent - 1. existing perpetually; everlasting, especially without significant change.; 2. intended to exist or function for a long, indefinite period without regard to unforeseeable conditions:

I am 50 and lived in 13 residences in all these years (13th being the present). What, pray, is my permanent address?!!!

Banks are pleading me to declare my last residential address (where we stayed for 7 years) as permanent, but that was a rental residence!

In short, a young dependent major, whose parents leave in rented residence, has probably no means to have a proof of address to be accepted by any authority or organisation.

Recommendation:

Keeping all this in view and the fact that this may be the fate of thousands like her in many cities,

1. I plead you that the following rules are notified and made acceptable by all authorities as an address proof for any major:

a. A registered or notarised or both, agreement, rental or leave license or similar, in the name of the surviving parent/s, along with,

b. A proof of relationship – birth certificate or a passport or something similar (the address on the documents in this case should be totally disregarded, as this is only for the purpose of establishing relationship)

2. I also suggest that the term “Permanent Residence” be examined by all authorities involved for its practicality in today’s world and its need and usefulness, if at all any, and probably notify a single rule/ law which is relevant or preferably ABOLISH the term.

I have very high hopes that you will take note of this small and easy thing and solve the problem of thousands if not more.